Bakwena partners for Women’s Month with Pinkdrive for breast, prostate & testicular cancer campaign

August​ ​is​ ​Women’s​ ​Month​ ​and​ ​Bakwena​ ​N1N4​ ​has​ ​for the seventh year partnered​ ​with​ ​PinkDrive​ ​and​ ​the Department​ ​of​ ​Health​ ​to​ ​raise​ ​awareness​ ​around​ ​breast,​ ​testicular​ ​and​ ​prostate​ ​cancer​ ​in communities​ ​adjacent​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Platinum​ ​Highway​ ​in​ ​North​ ​West​ ​Province.

Aimed​ ​at​ ​educating​ ​people​ ​about​ ​the​ ​various​ ​types​ ​of​ ​cancers (breast, prostate & testicular),​ ​early​ ​lump​ ​detection​ ​and clinical​ ​examinations,​ ​the​ ​first​ ​phase​ ​of​ ​the​ ​campaign​ ​saw​ ​nurses​ ​and​ ​caregivers​ ​receive training​ ​on​ 30 July at​ ​Zeerust Sub District Department of Health and Swartruggens Community Health Centre on 31 July.

A​ ​second​ ​phase​ ​of​ ​the​ ​campaign involves​ ​the​ ​education​ ​and​ ​screening​ ​of​ ​the community which will be taking place at the following clinics, 12 & 13 August​ ​at​Tswelelopele Clinic, 14 August, Gopane Clinic and 15 & 16 August at Lehurutshe​ ​Clinic. On the 26 August the campaign will​ ​move​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Groot​ ​Marico Clinic​ ​and​ ​on​ ​27 & 28  ​August​ ​to Swartruggens Community Health Centre.

The​ ​team​ ​will​ ​also​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​learners​ ​at​ ​the​ ​schools​ ​in​ ​the​ ​areas​ ​surrounding​ ​the​ ​various clinics.​ ​This​ ​year,​ ​the​ ​Pink​Drive​ ​mammography​ ​truck​ ​will be available on 15th August at Lehurutshe Clinic and 28 August at Swartruggens Community Health Centre.  Prostate cancer testing kits will also be available at the outreach to men over the age of 40.

Bakwena’s​ ​corporate​ ​social​ ​investment​ ​focus​ ​areas​ ​include,​ ​but​ ​are​ ​not​ ​limited​ ​to,​ ​road safety,​ ​health,​ ​environment​ ​and​ ​heritage​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​social​ ​economic​ ​development. Notably,​ ​the​ ​organisation​ ​initiates​ ​extensive​ ​social​ ​development​ ​programmes​ ​amongst the​ ​communities​ ​along​ ​the​ ​routes​ ​it​ ​constructs,​ ​operates,​ ​maintains​ ​and​ ​builds.

As​ ​a​ ​socially​ ​responsible​ ​company,​ ​Bakwena​ ​understands​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​engaging​ ​in partnerships​ ​that​ ​strengthen​ ​systems​ ​such​ ​as​ ​health​ ​and​ ​education.

PinkDrive​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Public​ ​Benefit​ ​Organisation​ ​powering​ ​South​ ​Africa’s​ ​first​ ​mobile mammography​ ​and​ ​educational​ ​unit​ ​and​ ​taking​ ​its​ ​message​ ​that​ ​”Early​ ​Detection​ ​Can Help Prolong a life”​ ​to​ ​communities​ ​throughout​ ​South​ ​Africa.​ ​Through this partnership, to date PinkDrive​ ​has​ ​conducted​86​mammograms,​ ​6,355 clinical​ ​breast​ ​examinations,​ ​and​ ​educated​ ​26,473 men and women​on breast, testicular and prostate cancer as well as carried out 511 PSA tests on men over the age of 40 along the N1N4 route.

Bakwena​ ​is​ ​proud​ ​to​ ​support​ ​initiatives​ ​such​ ​as​ ​these​ ​as​ ​they​ ​equip​ ​women,​ ​children​ ​and men​ ​with​ ​the​ ​necessary​ ​information​ ​and​ ​support​ ​to​ ​manage​ ​their​ ​health​ ​more​ ​effectively.